A farewell to Teddy
by Vitzy
Summary: Teddy is about to embark on a journey of a life time. Join him on his last day in England as he remembers some special things with some of the most important people in his life - his family. But what's up with James? Read and Review!


**Disclaimer: Only if wishes were horses then the totally dog eared Harry Potter books on your book shelf would have my name on it…and J.K Rowling would be writing fanfiction….if only…**

**A/N: Hello and Happy New Year (even though it has been a while since the 2012 started! This story was originally a chritmas fic…but somewhere along the way, it got lost,I lost interest. Then I went on holiday and after I came back, I was really busy with exams and all and well, it wasn't Christmas anymore! Lol.**

**But I changed things around and for some reason this is what came up. Pardon any spelling and grammatical mistakes…my biology and chemistry exams don't care about the spelling of things as long as the science is sound!**

Just a guide to ages:

2016

Teddy – 19 yrs

Victoire – 19 yrs

James – 14

Albus – 11

Lily- 9

….

George and Angelina had been the first to arrive with Roxanne and Fred. Ron and Hermione with Hugo and Rose soon came after and immediately the cousins had gone into the next room where they were waiting for the rest of the Potter-Weasley clan.

The Potter part of the clan was still at home…

"James! Jaaaames, we're ALL waiting for you. Get down." Ginny Potter was fast losing patience as she yelled after her oldest son. "Can't we just leave him here?" Albus asked cheekily. Ginny tried to swat his arm but he ducked behind his god brother in attempt to escape his mother. Lily laughed at Al's antics and the parents exchanged bemused glances.

They waited a few more minutes and Ginny's face was slowly turning the same fiery red as her hair. Harry looked over at Teddy and Teddy understood at once. "I'll go get him, Aunt Gin," he spoke brightly and jogged up the stairs.

_The stairs_. Lily was only one year old, when James had brought a muggle friend home and Albus had done accidental magic which had made James' friend fall down the stairs and break his arm. That was the first time, Teddy had seen his godfather angry. It made him grateful that he wasn't an ex-death eater, Head Auror Potter wasn't known for his leniency.

"Oi Jay, What's taking so long?" Teddy hadn't needed to knock on the door, as was expected of all the other family members. It was testimony to how much James respected and looked up to Teddy that the door opened even before he had spoken. Teddy allowed himself to enter and stared around the room. Instead of the usual red banners of Gryffindor House was…nothing. The posters of his favourite wizarding band (The Dizzy Quaffle) had also been taken down. Jarvey, the barn owl that Teddy had himself gotten for James last year was amiss too; the owner lying face down on his bed. Teddy rushed to him at once, concern etched on his face. "What's wrong? Did someone steal into your room? Shall I get Uncle Harry?"

The only response he got was a slight shake of his head. "M'okay…need a moment." "Mimble wimble to you too," Teddy replied in an attempt of a weak joke. Blindly James reached out to hit Teddy and instead ended up whacking his own leg. "Ouch!" Teddy snorted and tried to stifle his laugh. James got up slowly and glared at Teddy.

"Everyone is waiting for you downstairs, you know." Teddy said gently, trying to hide his confusion at James' weird behaviour. James shook his head, dangling his feet off the bed.

"You don't want to come to my farewell party?" Teddy said in a mock hurt voice. "But I was going to do my famous pig impression!"

James mouth lifted a little but he still looked a little morose. "Well, I guess if you are going to be doing your _famous _pig impression, I can't possibly stay away. Who would tell all the girls to quit giggling?"

_Marwell Zoo._ His grandmother Andromeda had taken him to the zoo as a birthday treat for his fifth birthday. The pigs had fascinated him and the rest, as they say, is history.

Teddy grinned and got up clapping his hands. "Up you get buddy." Teddy held the door open for James who had duck significantly to avoid hitting his head against Teddy's arm. It was only once James had plodded downstairs that a frown graced Teddy's face. He had known James for fourteen years and he could read James like a book – a feet that not many could be proud of. Something was wrong with his god-brother and Teddy didn't know what.

"Everyone present?" Ginny asked sending a cursory glance around and noticing her oldest son standing away from the rest of the family but she didn't have time to comment. Molly had given a time for one pm, they were already running late. Teddy was going to be late to his own farewell party!

Ginny passed a pinch of floo powder to everyone one by one. "Thank you my dear lady," Harry said bowing in a comical fashion. Ginny elbowed him into the roaring fire place and followed him in.

"Grammy! Grammy! They've arrived!" young Lucy Weasley ran into the kitchen where Molly, Arthur and Ron were all trying to set the cake on the table. Molly looked up and couldn't help smile at her second-youngest granddaughter. "Who is, dear?"

"Teddy! I'm going to get everyone from upstairs!" And Lucy ran off. Ron and Arthur shared a look as Molly continued smiling after the girl. "I'll go and make sure Teddy doesn't come in here, then." Ron said and walked out.

Harry and Ron had been friends for so long that they didn't even need to communicate to understand what the other needed to be done. As if on autopilot, both men grabbed one arm of Teddy's each who shouted in protest and frog marched him into the garden. "Stay," was all that Harry said in mock sternness and then they both left as well.

Teddy huffed at them but secretly his heart was singing.

He lazily roamed around the garden. There were so many memories attached with this house – and especially this garden. He was really going to miss this place. Godric's Hollow – where the Potter family rescided – was even worse. The number of nights he just slept over at his godparents' house was inconceivable. Even his own grandmother would joke that Teddy was a Weasley or a Potter before he was a Lupin. And in someways, he supposed, he was. Certainly he interacted more with his surrogate family than his real. The last time he had met his cousin, Scorpius, was a year back – when he was still at Hogwarts.

_Hogwarts. _The school in which he found himself. He was never going to step in there as a student again.

_The 3 Broomsticks. _Where he and Jordan Nott, his best friend spent many summers just…chilling.

_Lake Windermere. _Where Ron and Percy taught Teddy to fish the Muggle way.

All these memories…was he doing the right thing? Was leaving everything behind worth his dream?

"Hey," a soft voice said from behind him, waking him from his thoughts. "Vic," he spoke, his hair changing to its natural sandy brown colour. "You startled me!" he said walking towards her.

Victoire just shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "I missed you."

_Shell Cottage. _Where he first kissed her…and then got chased around the acres of land by a very angry Bill.

"Isn't that what you say when I come _back _from training?" he joked feebly. She smiled indulgently.

"Well you'll be gone for six years, I was practising," she joked back. It had always been like that between them. The conversation just flowed between them . They stood just looking at each other – who knew when they could see each other again.

Suddenly a downpour of rain began and both Teddy and Victoire snapped into action. Shrieking and laughing the two ran into Arthur's shed full of muggle artifacts. Inside the house, Hermione and Audrey Weasley saw the two young adults running into the shed instead of coming inside the house and smiled.

At one point every Weasley had taken his or her lover into the shed…it was a tradition of sorts.

"It's raining," Vic giggled in bewilderment and excitement, as if she had just found the cure for Hippogriff Influenza. Teddy was staring at the opposite wall – it had a huge dent in it. "Remember that?" Teddy said and Vic came to put an arm around him. "Granddad never really did fix that, did he? Said that it was proof that his grandson was going to be a quidditch player when he grew up. Honestly, that bludger could have smashed someone's head – lucky he hit it into the wall!"

_The Quidditch Pitch. _Where his Uncle George had taken him for his first flying lesson with the professional instructor Madam Chang.

Teddy smiled and added, "But Aunt Angy went berserk – you remember?" And over there is where Lysander threw up after gate crashing Dom's birthday…"

"eww, it's still a bit yellow!" Victoire laughed.

"SURPRISE!" The door was banged open and kids of all ages stood beaming at the two olders. The Potter-Weasley clan had finally found them.

"All right Ted?" Fred came up and high fived him.

"Teddy, will you chose my dress for me?" Dominique asked twirling a curl of blonde hair round her finger.

"And Teddy you promised you'd play a vigeo dame with me before you leave. You promised!" Little Hugo squeaked with Lily nodding her head furiously next to him.

"It's a Video Game, Hugo. Honestly! Anyway I'm sure Teddy has better things to do…like help me practise 4th year charms, right Teddy?" Albus rolled his eyes at Rose and mouthed 'boffin' to Molly who smirked.

"Hey, hey, hey! Give him a break you guys. Don't overwhelm him!" Victoire said almost protectively. Teddy was quiet; watching his cousins in every sense of the word but blood, quarrel over who got to spend time with him this evening. He had a bemused expression on his face.

_Chessington World of adventures_. One of the earliest memories Teddy had of going on a family trip where all of his cousins were present. Aunt Audrey and Aunt Hermione had vowed they were never taking the kids on an outing to a theme park again.

"I still think we should do some Charms practise, " Rose said bossily.

"All in good time Rosey Posey," the voice of the only previously absent James was heard. The boy himself stepped in and raised his eyebrows at the quarrelsome looks that was plastered on everyone's face. "We're all being called in. Lunch is almost ready."

As soon as Teddy entered the living room he was greeted with a deafening cheer. His eyes lit up and his hair must have gone through a series of colour changes as emotions – happiness, glee, excitement, confusion, surprise and most of all gratification all welled up inside of him.

Everyone was here. Literally everyone. From Neville's family to the Finnigans to the Patils. To his immense shock, even the Malfoys were here…and Headmistress McGonogall.

To say the least, Teddy was flabbergasted. All the cousins trailed in behind him and Victoire came up and gently raised her finger and closed his mouth. "I have a feeling this is your cue to talk," she whispered.

Teddy looked around at all the familiar faces and just one word managed to make its way out, "Thanks." And really what else could he say?

Everyone was laughing, smiling, even dancing drunkenly if you were either Arthur, George or Charlie. Teddy had had a conversation with nearly everybody in the room.

The food had been amazing. Of course, how could it not have been?

_Sunday Lunch at the Burrow._ To this day he cannot think that there has ever been a dish that has been repeated! Grammy Molly was truly a genious.

But there was someone who was not enjoying. James sat admist his favourite cousins, Fred and Louis, both equally intelligent and equally naughty as him. But James hadn't uttered a single word the entire time. Not many people noticed.

But Teddy did. But Teddy didn't say anything.

Clink Clink Clink. Someone was tapping their glass. It turned out that it was his god father.

"I'd like to make a toast, he spoke in a clear voice," his face studying Teddy's.

Everyone quietened down. "Stand up and speak," one of the adults shouted, and Harry complied.

"I've known Teddy Lupin since he was a baby. I have seen him through various stages of his life. From crying over a cut knee," Harry had to stop while people gently laughed. " To crying over a poor test results to crying over a girl." Someone wolf whistled and many people winked at Victoire. Here, Harry paused and smiled at Teddy. "Over the last nineteen years, Teddy has matured so much and grown into this wonderful young man who will embark on a journey that no one has done before. Teddy, when you are away in New Zealand, doing medical research and testing out new potions, just remember you have people back here who will be thinking of you." Harry picked up his glass and people followed, waiting for the toast.

"To Teddy Remus Lupin, a fine young man with a sparkling future. May you have every success within your reach." And everyone took a sip.

Silently, James slipped away from the room. Only Molly and Teddy noticed.

It was around seven o' clock by the time all the guests had left. Now it was just the Potter and Weasleys again. _Only._

In a few moments, Teddy would be leaving with Harry to check-in at the International Port-key station. His Port-key to New Zealand was at 8:40, but he needed to check in and go through wizarding identity control.

"Will we need to go back to get your belongings?" Ginny came up to ask. Teddy couldn't help but smile at the woman who had been like a mother to him.

"Andy has already brought all his stuff over, Gin" Harry answered from behind them.

Slowly one by one, his entire family was congregated in the room…but James was still missing. "so this is it," Percy said clapping Teddy on the shoulder.

Suddenly a small red blur came whirling into Teddy to give him a hug. He bent down to catch Lily. "Lils, don't cry. I'll be back for holidays and your birthday!"

"You won't be here to see me start Hogwarts!" Lily sniffed. Teddy's troubled eyes looked up and he was taken aback to see that quite a few people too had tears in their eyes.

There was a round of hugging and emotional goodbyes and finally Ginny, Harry and Teddy were ready to leave.

_The London International Portkey station. _Every one of his favourite holiday began with this place. And now he will be leaving for the longest time without returning, from this very place.

Harry and Ginny came up with him until he checked in. The wizard behind the desk placed a sticker with 'Carpet 1024 to ' on it and then Teddy was truly ready to go.

"If anything goes wrong, just come back Ted." Ginny told him.

"Don't forget to keep us informed." Harry reminded him.

"And don't get into trouble." Ginny spoke.

"But if you do, owl us, okay." Harry added.

Teddy laughed softly at his god parents fussing. "I will…and tell James that I said bye." Teddy said softly. Harry and Ginny nodded and kept waving even after Teddy had gone through the one-way gargoyle.

Teddy was amongst the first at the terminal for his port key. He sighed and closed his eyes. Flashes of places and events he had been to in the last nineteen years came to him. It was because he was already reminiscing that he thought the boy seated in front of him was a hallucination. But when the boy quirked an eyebrow and gave him a cocky smile, he realised that this was the real deal. This wasn't a hallucination of him…James-_the absolute git- _Potter was at the terminal with him!

"You moron, howd'ya get past security?" Teddy hissed in exasperation at James' newest rule-breaking. James gave him an incredulous look and moved a silvery free-flowiing cloth into Teddy's hand- the invisibility cloak.

"Ah, of course!" Teddy exclaimed, both shocked and strangely touched by James' reckless behaviour.

"I want to come with you." James stated. He had an odd expression on his face…as if daring Teddy to retaliate…which of course Teddy did.

"Is that why you've got your entire room with you?" Teddy asked dryly, pointing to the magically- made small trunk.

"Yupp!" James replied popping the 'p.'

"You can't, Jay," Teddy said softly with a sad smile.

For a long time James didn't say anything but eventually nodded.

"Well I had to try, right? Just in case you were mental enough to face mum's wrath and actually smuggle me to Kiwi Land with you!" James said nonchalantly. Teddy repressed a laugh and just ended up making a weird grunt/snort like sound to which James raised an eyebrow.

But James stayed with Teddy right until it was time for Teddy to leave.

The boys didn't exchange many words, but then again, actions speak louder than words.

James didn't have to say it. Teddy knew that of all his friends and family members, James would be the one who would miss him the most.

And for all that was worth, Teddy knew that James would be the one who he would feel the absence of the most.

Farewells are never easy, but as Teddy Lupin embarked on a new adventure, he just hoped that this new world would be worth the one he was leaving behind.

…

**A/N : A knut for your thoughts? What did you think? Constructive criticism welcome…review please!**


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